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In this era of multi-channel marketing, success is no longer measured by the advert, but rather the full viewer package. Debbie Brady, commercial director for Discovery Networks Africa, lets us in on the importance of commercial partnerships to generate revenue and increase brand awareness...

Alistair Mokoena, previously head of marketing at ABSA Retail & Business Bank, has joined Draftfcb Johannesburg as managing director. In addition to his role as managing director of the biggest agency in the Draftfcb group, he takes on responsibility for its retail arm, Swipe, and specialist agency, 1886.

Is creativity clouding the issue...? When I studied at university and at IMM for a marketing manager course, etc it was always a task for students to define the target market and strategy that the brand was following of a particular campaign/commercial. At the risk of sounding like John Farquhar (whom I admire) I find creativity is clouding the issue.

To add "innovation" in the company's mission and vision statement and not in the mind of the consumer should be a criminal offence. It is indisputable that there is an influx of new brands entering the market probably daily and new ideas are transforming the consumers in just as many days. Although this gives the consumer a universal view of the world, it is this global outlook that gives flat-footed brands a headache and innovative brands an edge. (video)

At the beginning of the year I attended a strategy workshop. One of the concepts we were taken through was the theory behind why people often don't like trying new things, specifically when it comes to marketing.

Companies that want to position themselves to drive business value from digital marketing must start working towards mastering the discipline of remarketing or risk getting left behind by nimbler rivals.

A great idea and the necessary resources to start a business are no guarantee of success. So many have had a sound idea and have executed it passionately and into the right market, but still found themselves as one of the nine out of ten small businesses that fail. What could have gone wrong?

American marketers have drawn criticism for "newsjacking" Hurricane Sandy. American Apparel offered a 20% discount for 36 hours "in case you are bored during the storm" and Sears advertised on Twitter "Did Hurricane Sandy affect your city? Get your generators, air mattresses & more in one place". There are several other examples in a similar vein.

The recent ad campaign for the new product line from Prominent Paints, Evolve, has been created by human.kind. The agency began by developing the product name, as the paint is 100% lead free, contains zero solvents, is 70% organic and has zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), which normally are given off by new coatings and adhesives in the form of in the form of harmful gases.

Advances in technology, the increase in connectivity, social media and cloud-computing has enabled a quicker route to collaboration, but are companies taking a holistic enough approach to the concept of 'team' in terms of a more successful project outcome?

EdgeRank has become a household term for Facebook marketers, primarily because this algorithm determines which posts appear in the prime marketing real estate of users' news feeds. In much the same vein as Google search, Facebook is always looking to optimise and update its algorithm.

Understanding our consumer is key not only to the way that we construct our offer, but also to the way we communicate this offer in the market. But what is the insight we are after? Consumers are notoriously bad at picking packaging or choosing a logo so how do we ensure that they are at the heart of our business and that we do get that competitive edge?

HMC Seswa Corporate Communications has been appointed to handle the marketing and communications of the Mineworkers Investment Trust (MIT). The National Union of Mineworkers established MIT in 1995, as a wealth-creating entity to assist retrenched workers and empower union members.

The award ceremony for the 2012 Assegai Integrated Marketing Awards will be hosted at the Sax Arena in Centurion on Thursday 15 November 2012. Sponsored by the SA Post Office for the sixth consecutive year, this event acknowledges and recognises excellent work in the direct marketing space.

For the first time in eight years, Caltex South Africa has shot and produced commercials locally to tell its South African story. Chevron South Africa, refiner and marketer of Caltex fuel and lubricants products, launched a brand campaign yesterday, Monday 22 October 2012.

With the resounding ringing of Ayoba being drowned out by a cacophony of other cries varying from IYOH, Fo Sho, The Real Makhoya, Yebo, Yizo and even Woo Ha, all in an attempt to connect with a new target market, one has to take a closer look at this changing advertising-scape with some much needed harsh objectivity. I've taken it upon myself to take on this rather daunting task as I have never been one to worry about 'stepping in it' because I have great cleaning tools and odour repellents.

Quite often South Africa does not fall in line with the rest of the world's trends. We habitually walk to the beat of our own drum. Often global stats do not reflect the South African market in the least. This leaves many marketers in the dark as to what the most effective way is to market a company.

Commenting on the recent space jump of Felix Baumgartner, Ilsa Grabe, business unit head at media agency Carat, says the stunt has been calculated to yield over £100-million in return on exposure for Red Bull.

GfK (Growth from Knowledge), the fourth largest marketing research company in the world with its head office in Nuremberg in Germany, is sponsoring a new programme in business and marketing research at the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of Pretoria. GfK is represented in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Brands who wish to target youth need to launch campaigns that are fun, modern and dynamic. Digital marketing provides brands with the ideal mediums through which to connect with today's youth by targeting them in the space they spend the absolute majority of their time - immersed in online or mobile activities.

You and I have come a long way together. We began our collaboration some 25 years ago, when you'd regularly forgive my crayoned abuse of your good nature. Then, we became allies: just you and me, against the world, using permanent marker to 'correct' the punctuation on signs proclaiming Ladies Room.

Okuhle Media, based in Cape Town, has entered into an agreement to co-develop and produce a range of content across the factual spectrum for the international market with Australian-based production company WTFN Entertainment, headquartered in Melbourne.

If you're itching for a new challenge or always fancied yourself a bit of an entrepreneur, why not start your own business? It may seem like a mammoth task, but setting yourself up online to start communicating and selling to potential customers is easier than you think. I will shares some of my top five tips on helping you on the road to start-up success.